Sparks, the NORC Blog, Insights from NORC Experts

Sparks
is a collaborative blog where Experts from NORC at the University of
Chicago share their insights on the news, their research, developments
in their fields, and changes in society. Read more.

NORC to Present USAID Global Reading Network Seminar and Webinar on Early Reading

​NORC’s Yvonne Cao and Aparna Ramesh will be presenting a USAID Global Reading Network seminar and webinar, “Parent and Community Support for Early Grade Reading” on Thursday, December 11, 2014. To learn more and register, visit the event page.

Expert Spotlight

J.MichaelDennis

J. Michael Dennis is a Senior Vice President in NORC’s Business Ventures
and Innovation unit (BVI) and Executive Director of AmeriSpeak, NORC’s multi-client panel-based research platform. Dennis
oversees all of AmeriSpeak’s operations, including business development and
panel recruitment. View full profile

Our Capabilities

NORC provides services that span the continuum of social science research.

Our Research

NORC multidisciplinary project teams include members with expertise and experience in these and other research topics:

Name Here Please

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Education1/14

From the first GI bill to the No Child Left Behind law, NORC has played a critical role in educational research and understanding what nurtures academic achievement. Collaborative relationships and data collection expertise build knowledge about students ranging from pre-schoolers to doctoral program graduates. Read more

Energy2/14

Energy policy and issues require solutions that cannot be determined without careful research and analysis. NORC's approach to energy is innovative, multi-faceted, and interdisciplinary, focusing on the intersections of policy questions in the security, energy, and environmental spheres to provide data and analysis to support informed decision making. Read more

Sustainability3/14

​NORC at the University of Chicago is a leader and innovator in social science research, applying innovative and rigorous methods to the most pressing and complex issues today, bringing insights to topics like Sustainability.​​​ Read more

International Development4/14

Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Australia. NORC’s international team works on projects that span the globe, providing technical assistance, fielding surveys, and helping to evaluate whether development and assistance programs have a positive, long-term impact and serve aid recipients efficiently and effectively. Read more

Human Development5/14

​NORC at the University of Chicago is a leader and innovator in social science research, applying innovative and rigorous methods to the most pressing and complex issues today, bringing insights to topics like Human Development.​​​​ Read more

Poverty6/14

​When public housing was demolished in major cities, what happened to the families who lived there? How is poverty tied to race, gender, and even neighborhood or family culture? NORC’s expertise in poverty research sheds light on the individual and systemic issues linked to poverty. Read more

Health7/14

Drawing on 70 years of healthcare, public health and mental health research, NORC has developed effective, innovative ways to conduct research in this rapidly changing, technology-intensive field. Our interdisciplinary team provides data and analysis to help find solutions to tough issues such as healthcare cost, access, and quality. Read more

Environment8/14

Reconciling our standard of living and booming demand for growth with the scarcity of resources and pollution emissions is one of the most difficult and urgent challenges of our time. NORC’s dynamic, interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies brings together experts in energy, public health, security, and environment to address a broad spectrum of issues with implications for national security, the economy, and public health. Read more

Economics9/14

The fallout of recent financial crises may be with us long after the global economy starts to recover. NORC helps organizations respond with some of the most frequently cited and richest sources of data: the General Social Science Survey, the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth, and the Survey of Consumer Finances. Read more

Criminal Justice10/14

It’s one of society’s most costly institutions, but are efforts to reform the justice system effective, cost efficient, and improving our safety? NORC’s interdisciplinary expertise illuminates multiple perspectives within the legal and justice systems on the impact of reform efforts and diverse topics such as victimization in middle school dating, prison violence, drug markets, and resources for prosecutors and law enforcement. Read more

Security11/14

Security has traditionally been viewed through the lens of national defense, but world events over the last decade have expanded the public perception of security to include issues of community resiliency that go beyond physical defense and are intertwined with issues of energy and environment. NORC brings together energy, security and environmental expertise to enrich work on complex, vital security projects.Read more

Special Populations12/14

The complex challenges of studying special populations—minorities, veterans, children, the disabled, prisoners, the elderly—requires cultural competency and advanced research methodologies. NORC’s expertise helps evaluate the programs aimed at improving the circumstances of these groups. Read more

Children and Youth13/14

​When, and why, do things go wrong for the most vulnerable young people? NORC’s comprehensive expertise and multi-disciplinary approach is helping to find the answers that enable children and youth reach their full potential. Read more

Substance Use14/14

Substance use remains a stubborn problem, exacting enormous health and productivity costs, threatening family and community stability, and adding to an overburdened criminal justice system. NORC brings exceptional sensitivity and objectivity to the unique challenges of substance use research to provide insight and support effective decision making for substance use issues and programs. Read more